One Year
by Adaon
Summary: Why haven't you proposed yet anyhow? I did. You did? What planet have I been on? When was this? Yes, as far as I know Earth, and One Year ago.


Background information to know:

Aiden Lowe has written 5 books, each has been a best seller. Set 3 years after E.W.

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One Year

After being married for just over a year, Duo and Hilde were finally celebrating the birth of their first child. Sarah Elizabeth Maxwell was born 3 days ago, and now mother and daughter have returned home. Heero was over to help them get everything ready.

"So Duo, what did you get Hilde for tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?"

"You do know what tomorrow is right?"

"Umm, Thursday?"

"And what is significant about Thursday?"

"Uh, does it involve cake?"

"Yes, specifically the kind you eat ONE YEAR after an event…"

The phrase 'deer caught in headlights.' Didn't begin to explain the look on Duo's face. He jumped to his feet and began wearing down the carpet with his pacing back and forth.

"Duo?"

"Oh man! I can't believe this! Help me out Heero! What am I going to do?"

"Take a vacation for two to the Bahamas starting tomorrow."

"How…"

Heero interrupted "It's already booked, when you didn't brag about any plans I assumed having the baby took up all your attention…"

"Wait what do I do with Sarah?" 

"Catherine already agreed to watch her." 

"The dog?"

"I already have a spare key, I'll take care of everything." Duo grabbed his friend into a hug, despite his protests. "Heero you're my hero!"

"Let go of me before I strangle you with your braid, and go see your daughter before Hilde thinks your ignoring them." Duo bonded off. A short time later Hilde came out.

"Heero I don't know what you did yet, but thanks!" She said with a beaming smile, and gave him a friendly peck on the cheek. "I knew something was wrong when Duo didn't brag about his anniversary gift before now."

Heero simply smirked. 

"Well I just hope we won't have to wait another year before we celebrate you and Relena getting married. Why haven't you proposed yet anyhow?"

"I did."

"You did? What planet have I been on? When was this?"

"Yes, as far as I know Earth, and One Year ago."

"Then why haven't you two gotten married yet?"

"She said no."

"Oh, Heero I'm sorry! But you can't give up after just once."

"I didn't."

"So you proposed again?"

"Every day for the past year. Infact if there isn't anything else, I still have to go over tonight and propose again."

Hilde just stared and blinked. "Wha? What could posses her to say no for an entire year?"

"She worries, she thinks I'm to closed off to myself to really be in love, that I might just be doing this out of a sense of duty or as a mission. And she probably worries that I'm not going to stay."

"You propose for an entire year and she thinks you'll leave?" Heero shrugged.

Hilde was almost as stunned by all this as when Duo proposed to her, "So why do you keep going back Heero?"

"I was trained to be emotionless so I wouldn't feel pain when I hurt people, since the wars are over I don't have to be like that anymore. Yet even when I was closing myself off from emotions something about Relena broke through. It took some time but I came realize that I didn't want to hurt her because I love her."

Hilde just blinked, "Heero, Thank you for everything you've done for Duo and I," she gave him another friendly peck on the cheek "and good luck." Heero nodded and left to make his way to Relena's.

__

That night, at the Peacecraft estate.

"Good evening Relena."

"Hello Heero." She greeted him with a smile and the two kissed. They had been dating for more then two years now. "So what have you been up to tonight?"

"Saving Duo from being banished to the couch for the second year of his marriage."

Relena gave a light laugh "or longer, but knowing Hilde I doubt she could stay angry for long, so what did you do?"

"I asked Duo last week about what he was planning to do for Hilde, since all his answers were baby related I assumed he had been so caught up in everything that he didn't realize what tomorrow was. So I made sure _he_ got a trip for two to the Bahamas starting tomorrow. I just informed him of it tonight."

"I'm sure Hilde will love it. But buying a trip for your friend that's more then I expected from you Heero."

"I said '_he_ got' the trip."

Relena starting laughing and playful slapped Heero's shoulder, "Heero that's identity theft!"

"You think he'll turn me in?"

"Probably not, by the way, did you officially get them anything?"

"Trowa and I are installing a Jacuzzi while they are on vacation."

"What do I have to do to get one of those?" She asked with a smile.

"Well rather then waiting a year, I suppose I could do it as a wedding present…"

Relena's smile suddenly left her face. "Heero do we have to go through this again?"

"Did you know as of tonight it's been exactly one year?"

"It seems almost like ten years…"

"It's felt like a hundred."

"So why go through it Heero?"

"You know perfectly well the reason why, you just won't admit it to yourself."

"Just because I know you're relentless doesn't mean I know you love me."

"What else do I need to do?"

"Heero I can't explain it, I just wish it were that simple…"

"You think that penthouse on the fiftieth floor on night number Two-Seventy-Five was simple? Or the submarine on night hundred, odd place for a campaign stop by the way; and don't even get me started on Space Force One on night 300." Heero said with a smirk on his lips.

"Heero I…"

Heero pressed a finger to her lips, "hold on Relena, I'm not done yet."

"Relena, I love you, I love everything about you. I love the way you can stand up to anyone or anything without fear. I love the way your face lights up whenever you hear your nephew mentioned." Which it did as he said it. "I even love the way you stand by what you believe and refuse to marry me until you know I love you… And I love that Aiden Lowe is your favorite author."

Relena blinked, "how did you know he's my favorite?"

"The fact that you have everything he's written and you have read all 5 of his books 10 times each." Relena blushed. "So tell me Relena, what else do I need to do to show you how much I love you."

Relena smiled "well let's see, since we were discussing Mr. Lowe, he's a recluse and no one has met him. How about getting one of my books signed?"

Heero smiled, "Mission: accepted, which do you want signed?" Relena picked up off her bookshelf "The Rise and fall of the Sanq Kingdom." Heero held an amused grin as he opened to the dedication page and took out a pen.

Relena had a puzzled look on her face, "Heero? What are you doing?"

Heero continued writing something Relena couldn't see, "Odin Lowe was the closest thing I've had to a father in my life, before I met Dr J, Odin and I were constantly traveling. I would travel under the name 'Aiden Lowe' posing as his son." Heero had Relena's full attention, this was more then anyone knew about his life and he was just telling it to her. "When I started performing missions for Dr J before the war I had a dozen identities I would go around using so that I didn't raise suspicion. I kept Aiden Lowe as one of them. After the war when I started writing I decided to use it as a pen name."

Heero handed the book back to Relena; she read the dedication page, which took on new meaning in light of what she just heard. The original print on the page read: "To the women I love, from whom I draw more strength then she will ever know." Under it, in Heero's handwriting were the words: "Relena, I love you with all that I am, From you I draw the strength to live and to love. Will you marry me?"

A tear was falling down Relena's cheek as she looked up to Heero. He had pulled a ring out of his pocket, the same ring he had been carrying every night for the past year, it was white gold. Heero was looking at her with an inquisitive gaze, for Heero anyway.

Relena smiled, reached up and kissed Heero. Pulling back she let Heero place the ring where it belonged and answered, "I love you Heero, Yes I'll marry you."

They rejoined in a kiss, and after one year of proposing Heero celebrated the anniversary the best way possible, with Relena.


End file.
